I once had an interesting conversation with a student who was struggling in my class.

She confessed that every time she sits down to do an assignment, she has a mental/emotional roadblock, because all of her life, she received “you can’t do it, you’ll never amount to anything” messages. Therefore, she said, she’s not afraid of failure. She’s used to it. That’s the default. It’s the risk of success that scares her.

If she doesn’t do the assignment, the result is guaranteed. Yes, she’ll get a failing grade, but at least it’s predictable. If she does the assignment, she’s taking a gamble – what if her best work isn’t good enough? What if she really IS a “loser?”

We talked about how taking a chance on success also means risking failure, and how the best way to honor the discouraged little girl inside her is to take that chance.

Sometimes we learn from our students. It would be easy to label her as “lazy,” or incapable. But fear can be stronger than ability. For all of us.